Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that steps would be taken to reduce the time taken to settle a file. He, however, said that checks at various levels of bureaucracy were important for efficient and error-free administration.
“Files are handled in Secretariat mainly on the basis of Secretariat Office Manual and Rules of Business,” the Chief Minister said in response to a Submission raised by CPM MLA K.V. Vijayadas in the Assembly on Wednesday.
“The orders and directives issued on the basis of government decisions should be exhaustive and factual. Deep and thorough examination is required before taking a decision on important policy matters,” the Chief Minister said.
He said that there were basic rules governing the structure of official orders, the framing of rules, legislation, and fund utilisation. “Issuing orders and circulars without errors and in the proper way is crucial for efficient administration. This is why the Secretariat Office Manual mandates scrutiny at different levels,” Mr Vijayan said. Nonetheless, he said that bureaucratic checks had been avoided wherever possible. Still, he conceded that certain shortcomings persisted.
“We have tried to reduce the time taken on a file through the optimium and efficient application of technology. E-office system has more or less been completed in Secretariat. Link officer mechanism, too, has been put in place to make sure that file movement is not restricted by the absence or non-availability of officials,” the Chief Minister said. The financial powers of officials too are revised in a timely manner, he said.
